Usually I would consider cropping as a part of post production in my work flow, but there is much to be said for taking the time to “crop” your images while you are taking them.  Simply put you pay more attention to what is happening in the image and try to remove distracting elements, move in closer or change your perspective to create a tighter cropped image with more focus on the main subject.

In some of the examples I show below I have done some additional cropping in post production just to show what a difference it could have made if I had got that step closer.  This can be hard to do especially in the case of animals, but one way to do that could be to change your lens.

Other Post on Composition
Simplify Your Subject
Rule of Thirds
Leading Lines & S-Curve
Beware of Mergers
Symmetry & Balance
Composition Printable